Prediction and odds for the game: Germany (1/7) vs Iceland (14/1)
We are backing Ilkay Gundogan to be an anytime goalscorer at odds of 13/5
When: Thursday 25th March 2021, Kick-off 7:45
Where: Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena
On Thursday night, Germany host Iceland in Group J of World Cup qualifying, with the home team major favourites to win this game and the group.
Germany
Die Mannschaft head coach Joachim Low recently announced that he will step down from his position after this summer’s European Championships. Low will want to go out on a high in the inter-continental competition, but first, they have to get the small matter of World cup qualifiers out of the way.
Germany head into this clash on the back of a bizarre 6-0 hammering in Spain. Before the defeat, the home side were in decent form, as they were 12 games unbeaten in the international game. Die Mannschaft will be confident of getting back to winning ways in this clash, especially as they tend to cruise through qualifying for big tournaments.
In fact, Germany have not lost a World Cup qualifier since that famous 5-1 home defeat against England in 2001. That is a run of 33 games unbeaten. The home side has also won their last 16 qualifiers while scoring at least two goals in each of the wins. That record is formidable and offers very little hope for the visitors.
Iceland
The Nordic nation seems to have gone into something of a slump after a great run of form that saw them qualify for the last two major international tournaments. They had never qualified for either, so their performances were historic.
Things have taken a turn for the worse form-wise if late, as they head into this clash on the back of just one win in eight international outings. A 4-0 defeat against England in their last match means that the visitors have suffered defeat in seven of their last eight games, including their last five.
One of the main foundations that their team was built upon when successful was that they were so well organised in defence. That has certainly changed of late, as Iceland have now conceded at least two goals in each of those five recent defeats.
The visitor’s recent record in qualifying is pretty good, as they have won five of their last six qualification matches while keeping clean sheets in four of the six games. However, this team looks a world away from the one that earned so many plaudits in qualifying for the last two big tournaments.
Conclusion
We expect Germany to come on top in this clash, but the home win offers very little value. Instead, we are going to look at the goals market. The first bet we are going to recommend is Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan to continue his recent scoring form by being an anytime goalscorer at odds of 13/5. We are also going to take a brave punt on under 2.5 goals, as Iceland are likely to attempt to make the game a tight one. A note of cautious only back this if you are prepared for a very nervous 90 minutes!
Verdict: We are backing Ilkay Gundogan to be an anytime goalscorer at odds of 13/5 and/or under 2.5 goals scored at odds of 17/10. (All odds are taken from Bet365).
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